[StBernard] Landrieu Comments on Corps' Category-5 Report Delay

[Westley Annis]

Landrieu Comments on Corps' Category-5 Report Delay

 

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today commented on the
Army Corps of Engineer's failure to meet Congress' end-of-year deadline for
a plan to provide Louisiana with Category 5 hurricane protection.  

"It is extremely disappointing that the Corps is again ignoring the intent
of Congress by delaying their report," Sen. Landrieu said.  "While it is
essential that the Corps get the report right, it is inexcusable for them to
continue to delay when they have had more than two years to complete it.  

"Coastal erosion and hurricane protection are two of the most pressing
issues faced by south Louisiana, and bureaucratic foot-dragging leaves in
lingering jeopardy both our coast and the safety of the millions of
Louisianians living there."

Sen. Landrieu, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured
language in the Fiscal Year 2006 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill
directing the Corps to conduct a complete hurricane protection analysis and
design and present to Congress a full range of levee, flood control, coastal
restoration, and hurricane protection measures.  When an interim report due
last summer was delayed by the White House to remove all specific
engineering recommendations from the report, the Senate Appropriations
Committee unanimously approved language authored by Sen. Landrieu to clearly
express Congress' expectations.

"The Committee expects information based on the Corps' expertise in a timely
manner and unfiltered by the administration," the bipartisan committee said.
"Furthermore, the Committee emphasizes that the Chief may submit reports on
components areas of the larger protection program for authorization as soon
as is practicable and urges the Chief to utilize this discretion."

The final report, outlining the Corp's recommendations for Category 5
hurricane protection in coastal Louisiana, was due to be delivered by
December 31.  But now, after having had two years to complete it, Corps
spokesman Steve Wright said this week that "we're not quite done with it."
Press accounts have also reported that despite the clear directives of the
original legislation and subsequent Appropriations Committee statement, the
report still fails to provide specific recommendations.

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